Examining Graduate Students’ Perceptions of and Preferences for Online Courses

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to: (a) explore graduate students’ perceptions of and preferences for online credit courses; (b) analyze and compare this study’s findings to those from previous research; and (c), based on findings, recommend further improvements to graduate online courses. Analysis of survey data from graduate students enrolled in online courses and comparison of responses with those in previous research indicated areas of improvement for online courses, including perceived importance of course interactions, less preference for online courses over face-to-face courses, and flexibility and convenience rather than effectiveness as advantages. This research recommended that online course providers engage in more course interactions and assist students in attaining learning objectives and establishing peer networks and that researchers conduct evaluation studies that compare online and face-to-face course performance such as students’ learning achievement in order to gain deeper insights into specific areas of improvement for online courses.Keywords: graduate online courses, students’ perception, students’ preference